Melissa's awakening
by Harun85
Summary: Melissa would do whatever he asked... Even if he was a ghost.
1. Chapter 1

Melissa's Awakening

By Harun

ONE

It was late November in the Evergreen Forest, and Melissa Raccoon was picking up another bit of food to bring back to her tree house. She looked out the small window of Willow's General Store, to the gray skies that spread over the tops of the trees. A massive storm was drawing near Evergreen soon, and residents were told to brace themselves. Gusts were already reaching the small community, and some damage had been reported.

Melissa was not concerned with the weather at this moment, however. She merely wanted to get home, to pass another night in solitude. "Thanks, Mister Willow..." Melissa said. She gave him a hint of a smile as she opened the door, bag in hand, for her journey home. The wind immediately made the cheap paper sway, and wiggle about as it fought with her grip. As she held the door open, she looked back into the store at a group of youths by the magazine rack. One small raccoon girl was holding a comic book, pointing out a picture to her friends. Another, older bear boy was talking with his teenage friend. "Did you hear about it?" The boy said. The second shook his head. The bear then took a small book from the stand. 'Ghost Stories'. The sight of those words made Melissa turn away, and start in a hurry toward the house.

It was there to remind her every day. It would never leave her, even when she did not mention it to anyone. The wind pushed against her, and a few oranges tumbled from the bag. They rolled along the ground, and Melissa looked at them as the wind moved them along. There would be no way she would be able to catch up with them. She decided to allow Evergreen to claim them. The community had already taken a chunk of her soul, what were a few oranges?

She could see the Raccoondiminium in the distance as she turned down the small path. Her home was the one place that she felt safe, against Evergreen. She passed several of its residents on her way, but none of them nodded to her or said hello. She felt as if she had died along with Ralph that night. Some part of her wished that she had. 'Ghost stories'... That image stuck in her head as she opened the door to her dark house.

Melissa wanted to set the bag onto a table, but she had none. She wanted to relax in the armchair that the two had once snuggled in, but she could not do that either. Anger threatened to bubble out from inside her, and she threw the bag onto the living room floor, watching its contents fall. All the amenities of her former life were gone to pay for his funeral and the resulting trial. Would tomorrow be any better? A small part of her took solace in thinking about Bert and Cedric. Those two had helped her when she needed it. Her only regret was that she could not keep Bert as a house guest. The onset of his illness took everyone by surprise. She would see him tomorrow, and bring him the same basket of fruit and cakes she had been sharing for the past six months.

The wind howled outside, and Melissa turned on the radio. '-intense syst me frontal du pacifique s'approchera de la for t des Sapins Verts cet apr s-midi. Des vents du sud-est de 80 100 km/h-' The radio started to break up. Melissa double-checked the windows, making sure they were closed tight. She was startled by the sudden burst of noise as the radio kicked in. '-inds of 80 to 100 kilometers per hour are expected overnight. Stay away from windows, and be sure to have emergency food and water ready, should power be cut.' She drifted in and out of the news program. The fruit on the floor seemed to mock her. It had gotten through the storm just fine.

She took one last look out into the gray gloom before noticing a VHS tape on the counter. Nicole had brought it over with some food yesterday. She and George had tried to support her with what help they could, but it was not sufficient for her to live on. She pushed the tape into her VCR, then turned on the TV. Three boys standing by a tree greeted her. The camera was shaky as the director, a very tall raccoon girl, yelled 'Action!'.

"Bam!" A high-pitched anteater said. He waved his hands in the air for emphasis while his nasal tone brought on his friends beside him.

"Green eggs and ham!" The director's little brother twirled around, holding a pie.

Both paused for a second, waiting for their third friend to say his lines. "Peanut butter and jelly!" The third's voice trilled in the air while the other two looked at each other. The aardvark in glasses nodded to the boy in a blue shirt, who slammed the pie into Bert Raccoon's face.

"Cut!" Lisa Raccoon shouted. The camera shook a bit as she placed it on a tripod. She came over to Bert with a towel. Bentley and Cedric were still laughing. Bentley's laughter stopped as his sister bopped him on the head. "Don't encourage him!" She shouted.

Melissa laughed. At first, she did not believe that she could make those sounds anymore. As the director, with an angry look on her face, stormed back to the camera, the words 'TAKE FIFTEEN' shown on a title card.

The screen flashed and went blank for a minute before her heart sank in her chest. "So, you nervous, little brother?"

The camera asked to a man dressed in a formal suit. "Is squirrel shit nutty?" The two laughed.

It then swung around as George Raccoon leaned in to his brother. "This young pup's getting married!"

Ralph chuckled, and looked into the camera. "I love you, Melissa!"

George laughed again, very close to Ralph's ear. "Cut it out!"

He pushed George away, and the camera fell. The screen went black, and Melissa found herself reaching to push the 'rewind' button. "Oh, Ralph..." Those words... She needed to hear them again. Just as he smiled at her, his mouth opened, and the room went black. Evergreen would not let her have her request that night. The power went out.

She felt dejected. There was one place she could retreat to, where it could not menace her. One place where they could be together again. Her dreams would be a great leveler of sadness, as tonight they could not torture her. She mixed her tea, and waited for it to take its effect. Bliss would come soon enough, and take her into slumber until the storm passed. 


	2. Chapter 2

Melissa tried to look around the room, but she couldn't move her head. Someone sat on top of her, pinning her to the sheets. Her heart beat at a furious rate, and she found the pressure on her chest mounting. She heard his laughter, and felt his breath against her. The noise in her head kept building. With each beginning pulse, his face appeared. Each second of silence, his face moved closer to her. Finally, with each ending pulse, the face vanished again. "I love you!"

The last word melded into a rumble of thunder that jolted Melissa awake. She blinked a few times, and tried to steady herself. She found it difficult to concentrate with the pounding rain and crashing thunder against her tree house. Melissa took a deep breath, and flipped the light switch in her bedroom. Only darkness... Just what he liked.

She thought she had a fever, and reached for the glass of water usually resting on her nightstand. Nothing. Dust coated everything on its surface, save for a newly-formed square where Ralph's Travel Book had been. The constant pounding of rain made her think of the last time he read it. The evening when an old flame came in vengeance to try claiming her already-taken hand.

A thudding sound came from the hallway, and sent a chill through Melissa. Those sounds waited for her to respond. Did someone break into her house?

Melissa still felt trapped in a dream. Was this her worst nightmare? No... Her room seemed similar, but not identical. The blue curtains of Ralph's choosing replaced the red ones of her dreams. The final clue came as she looked at her bedclothes. They were still yellow. Not bloodred like that night.

Melissa's frail voice cut through the tree house. "...Ralph?" Thunder responded. This vibration of waves that hit her inner ear, sounded different. As if in response, more thunder growled, and lightning flashed outside her window. It was not the same, noisy crash followed by a bang. Three steady drones, as if syllables, echoed again.

This had to end. Melissa yelped as blood flowed from her finger. Her paring knife had done its job. She looked down, to see the red blade. In her dreams, she had avenged her husband that night. The night he had appeared at her doorstep.

Melissa shuddered, and her head jerked to the corner, near her door. It sounded like a wet thudding sound. "Ralph!" She dashed out into the hallway, expecting to find Ralph's carcass. Even though he could no longer physically harass her, his memory would always be with her, and perhaps continue to torture the couple in the afterlife.

A flash of lighting lit up the hallway. The afterlife... A loud boom came from her washroom. Someone was there, she had no doubt. Melissa gripped the paring knife, and she let loose a cry as she pushed open the door.

The steady dripping of her faucet met her. Three constant, equidistant drips, much like the thunder before... Were they saying 'Me... Li... Sa...'? No, they couldn't be.

A bright light flashed in front of Melissa. She saw something in the afterglow: it was something she recognized, something calling out to her. Amid the glow of the mirror in front of her, she saw the image of a raccoon with a long swishing tail. She shook off the thought. Just a figment of her imagination.

Melissa's mouth came open, as she recognized the image. "...Ralph?" Another flash of lightning lit up the room. Melissa shut her eyes. For the second they were closed, she could see a raccoon in a white dress. One of the happiest days of her life flashed before her.

They opened again, trying to make sure this wasn't a dream. Her eyes searched for any signs of her husband in that bright light, but there were none. Had Ralph disappeared? Now, that tear intensified into many as an unstoppable wave started to cascade down the widow's face. The flash had dissipated, again leaving her in darkness. She looked at the mirror, to see someone watching her, smiling.

It wasn't a dream. He looked at her with those eyes; those eyes she had fallen for when they first met back in school under their old teacher.

Under that old brick schoolhouse she remembered so fondly. "...Ralph?" Melissa asked.

"Melissa..." Ralph said. His voice carried the same cheerful tones they did during the morning of their second year together.

"I'm so glad to see you..." His words dropped off, as they were fighting for her attention with the rain's pounding against the windows.

Melissa's voice started to crack. "Is it really you?" She tried to regain her composure, when a chuckle came from the mirror. "What's so funny?" Melissa asked the figure.

Melissa shivered as his pupils dug into her soul, rooting her to the ground so she couldn't move.

"What are you doing here, Ralph?" Melissa asked.

Ralph looked out the window. Melissa met his eyes, and peered into the dark night with him. "You know what day tomorrow is, don't you?" His speech made the twenty-six year old widow feel like a giddy sixteen year-old again.

Those final two syllables danced around on his tongue, teasing her to not forget that day. Tears were coming now, in response to his question. "Of course I do! It's our anniversary..."

The words made her ache. She wiped her eyes, and looked at her husband. "And do you remember what you wrote?" Ralph said. His hands rested by his stomach.

Melissa struggled to make sense of what Ralph was hinting at. "...No. What did I write?"

"...Why don't you ask Bert about it?"

Bert... She remembered her old houseguest's warm hands against her face the last time they had talked. "Why are you doing this, Ralph? What do I need to ask Bert about?"

Melissa didn't want to lose this moment with him. "Ralph?" She asked. When she stepped closer to the mirror his image faded into the night. She bit her lip, waiting for his response. Another loud boom of thunder stole him away from her. The window rattled violently, and she saw rainwater seeping in, to soak the plants that rested near the sill. "Ralph!"

He was gone. Melissa fell to the ground and started to sob. She did not know why he appeared, or, more importantly, when she would see him again. The world was fast becoming too big for her to be alone in.

Melissa flinched as the lights flashed on. She looked around the small bathroom, and he was gone. Melissa had to make sure she was sane. The lights worked, and she hoped the phone worked.

The small air-conditioner by her window kicked on. She made her way to the living room. The unit started to rattle, as it would when left on for longer than five minutes. Yet another amenity she had never gotten the opportunity to fix. She walked over to the phone, which rested on her cardboard box. Melissa sat down on the couch, and picked up the phone to dial Cedric's number. A tear came down her cheek, as she heard Cedric's voice. "Hello?" The nasal aardvark said. Melissa felt so happy to hear him again. "Who is this?" He asked.

Melissa cleared her throat. "Cedric?" She squeezed the receiver.

"Hi Melissa." Cedric said. "I was just going to call you. Is everything alright?"

"Yes..." Melissa said. Sneer Industries had branched out into electric parts, and Cedric often called her after bad thunderstorms, to check if she needed anything replaced. "I'm sorry for calling so late," Melissa began. "but I need to ask you something."

"Did the Raccoondiminium take any damage from the storm?" Cedric asked.

Branches from the tree house hit against her window. "No " Melissa said. An owl howled in the distance, as the wind picked up.

"Did Bert ever give anything to you? Anything you two showed Ralph?" She asked.

An eerie silence followed. Melissa checked her connection, thinking she had lost him. "Cedric?" She said again.

"You'll have to ask Bert " Cedric said.

"Please, Cedric " Melissa said.

Were they hiding something? "I'm sorry, Melissa, you have to ask Bert about it. I promised him."

"...Alright."

"Is it okay if I stop by tomorrow?" The aardvark asked.

Melissa's heart raced. "Of course, Cedric. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Good night, Melissa." Melissa set the phone down, and waited for Cedric to disconnect. The sharp tones of the dial tone a few seconds later, sent her back from her daze.


	3. Chapter 3

Melissa awoke around eight o'clock. She rolled over in bed, and stretched her arms. At first, when her hand bumped the small paper, she thought it was a letter she had brought in last night. A sense of deja vu hit her, as she felt the object. She struggled to remember where she had seen the page before. Holding it in her hands gave Melissa an odd feeling.

This particular page showed a lake the two planned to visit next year. She focused on the top of the page, to look for the lake's name. The top half of the page was gone, and the page number on the bottom read '02'.

A bath might give her time to take a breather. Even as she rested in the tub, she couldn't stop thinking about the page. Melissa stepped out. Steam clung to the windows in her washroom. The cool water from her bath didn't help her to relax after finding the page. A feeling she couldn't shake off, even when she bathed. She noticed something, behind her reflection in the mirror. The glass was hazy, so she wiped the film away. She expected to find Ralph again, as she had found him glimpsing at her while the two eloped for their honeymoon. She smiled, and remembered their romantic outing to Evergreen Lodge.

Something caught her eye now. A body lay in the hallway, Bert's body. Melissa jumped back from the mirror, and looked into the hall. No one. She looked into the foggy glass, and froze when she heard Bert's screaming. That night remained so clear in her mind. She decided to check on what took Bert so long. At first, she waited for Ralph or Bert to come out and help her with the bags in their car. When he entered the house, she found Bert in the hallway. He wasn't moving. Worried for her husband, she made her way to the bedroom, to find the first piece of Ralph Raccoon.

Melissa shook off the thought. Another look into the mirror showed her, just as she was born. Her fur was still wet, and she grabbed a towel from the rack. Was this mirror magical? Last night, with Ralph, and now with Bert. Melissa didn't believe in coincidence. She would have to ask Bert today, when she saw him.

A pounding at the door startled her. She picked up her clothes from the basket, and quickly changed into her pink shirt. The wrapping became louder. Melissa saw the lock jiggling with each smack on her front door. In a few seconds, it stopped. Three small letters fell from her mail slot.

One of the envelopes on the floor, made Melissa stop in her tracks. Its higher quality paper told her who it was from. Only one person mailed her from that address. With hesitation, she started to walk over to the door.

Had Cedric dropped off the mail? She picked up the letter, along with a few other bills, and set them on the counter. 


	4. Chapter 4

Melissa straightened her back, and turned to face the large brick building. A simple sign read 'Evergreen Hospital'. The mental ward, or 'the asylum', housed some of Evergreen's most insecure and mentally unstable individuals.

Birds chirped outside. The door's glass reflection hit her, and the sun shone in her face. She stood for a moment, dazed by the sun's reflection, before walking through the second set of doors. A cheerful looking nurse sat near a buzzer. Melissa had entered the first layer.

The voice came through speakers near the roof. "Hello, miss." The omnipotent voice asked her business.

She clutched the basket on her arm. "I'm here to see Bert Raccoon." Melissa said. The meeting area was small, a few chairs by the reception desk.

It was the same routine she had been through since she started visiting her old friend. "You'll have to leave your bag out here." The voice said to her.

The door into the second layer had opened. Now came her escort into the asylum as well as the checking of her basket for contraband, before returning it to her. Melissa would never be able to hide anything.

Two badgers, dressed in green hospital scrubs, walked on either side of her. A buzzer sounded, and their twin keys' turning opened the elevator. Anything caused fear in the asylum. Something out-of-place, or something not just right. The duo of orderlies wore white gloves, and coverings over their white-striped hair.

Melissa remembered the lights in these grim hallways always changed. Some days, they shone like the sun, while on others, employees walked around with flashlights. One orderly stepped in front of her. A special white light hit Melissa as the door opened into the third layer. This was a certain light, hung just so no shadows appeared. "This way."

The trio continued down the hallway, in the white wonderland, stopping at a door marked 'Raccoon, B.'

Melissa felt her heart starting to pulse again, as it did each time she saw him. What was he like today? Would he be restrained? Beaten? Dying? Some occasions, he was unconscious, so he had to leave her basket and begone. Other times, he wailed and cried. He would not respond to doctors or nurses.

Now the two stood in front of Melissa. Like an echelon formation, the two entered his cell. Calling it a room would be a lie. No luxuries existed in the cell, no happy pictures on the wall, no ways to remind him of his former life.

Tightly sealed doors muffled squeals and thuds as she passed. Even though the Asylum tried to mask itself through bright lights and muffled sound, Melissa still caught hints of the darker side of life in this area.

Bert was standing in a corner, flanked by two orderlies. It looked like they jerked him out of bed. His fur was matted and tangled. He had lost so much weight, he could have used his sweater for a blanket if it had been allowed in with him.

She tried to smile. "Hello, Bert." Melissa said. A slow glance in her direction replaced his once jovial expression.

Those small black pupils pointed at her. "Melissa?" The raccoon asked. They darted over her frame, scanning her like an alien being. It would take him a moment to recognize her, as it did each time they met. Once she saw that Bert matched her face with her voice, his eyes darted down to his belly.

An unchanged diaper was not one of the normal smells she associated with her friend, but dignity pants, as the staff happily referred to them, served as a way to control messes among incontinent patients. They were also, in his case, a way to punish.

Her eyes focused on the orderlies. "Could you give us a moment?" They remained silent, which made her gaze fall on one of them. "For God's sake, let me-" Melissa said.

The first orderly gave her a grin. "I can't let you do that."

The second's tones made the once-proud raccoon blush. "Bert's been bad..." As he said this, he turned his head toward Bert.

Melissa reached out and took one of his hands in hers. "No contact." Orderly one said to her.

She felt his heartbeat as she squeezed his hand tighter. "I saw him last night, Melissa..." Bert said.

"Time to take a nap, Bert." Orderly two said, putting his hand on Melissa's. She tried to mask the pain of the orderly's grip on her fingers.

Was this what Ralph meant? "What did he say, Bert?"

The first orderly pulled a watch from his pocket. Bert's head jerked to the sound, focusing on its ticking. "Time's up." He said after taking a quick look at it.

"Fox, Fox p..." Bert's voice was growing softer with each tick of the watch. "P,p,p..."

Melissa leaned in to him. Orderly one slipped the watch in his pocket. "Bert, let go." He said.

"Pond..." The word fell from his mouth, like he was choking on it. The orderlies flanked him, and he tugged at his shirt collar.

What were they planning to do? Melissa reached and squeezed Bert's hand. "What about it, Bert?" In that hellhole, ten years slipped away as she held hands with her friend.

Her brief understanding was shattered by the orderly, who grabbed her arm. "I told you, no touching!" He shouted this, like the thought of friendly contact enraged him. One motioned to Two, who took one of Bert's arms.

She needed to break free of Rached's grip, and find out information from Bert. She would not let go of his hand, even though One was squeezing. "What do you know about Ralph's travel book?"

One broke her grip, and put his hand over her mouth. "Did you get a letter this morning?" Bert asked, as Two pinned both his arms to the wall.

Everything was collapsing in on her. She bit One's hand, and he shouted. "Ye-" Before she could get the word out, One's fist connected with her chin. She fell against the wall, and hit her head.

One shook his hand off, and approached her. "It's time for you to leave!" Two was holding onto Bert, and the duo of strong badgers separated them.

Melissa didn't expect to see One suddenly jerk backward. He clutched the back of his head, before falling to the ground. "Melissa!" Bert shouted.

The next minute was a blur. Two sets of arms grabbed her, and picked her up. "Melissa!" Her eyes went wide when she saw her friend with blood dripping from his hands. Melissa screamed when she saw the gash across One's neck.

An orderly tacked the raccoon, and sent him against the wall. "Fox pond! It was fox pond!" He shouted. Bert tried to defend himself, but he felt a sharp prick on his arm. "Let me go!" His voice broke. Two more orderlies were in the room, hauling him down. The third with a syringe, and fourth a cuff for his feet. Melissa watched, in horror. "Fox pond!" He shouted again before.

Melissa couldn't resist the orderlies on either side of her, who had her by her arms. They were taking her out of the room, in a brisk pace. "It's time for you to leave!" One said. His eyes were forward, looking at the door ahead near the elevator.


	5. Chapter 5

A loud sound startled Melissa. She had fallen asleep, on the couch in their living room. The breeze that once came in from the window turned into a chill. The pounding continued. Melissa sat up and looked around. Her half-empty teacup lay on the floor.

Who waited on the other side? She took a deep breath and imagined last night, as well as this morning. What if, instead of appearing in the mirror, he materialized behind her door? What if he came in, weapon drawn, to kill her? Melissa reached in the cardboard box for her paring knife. She peeked through the small hole by her door and saw a purple anteater clad in bow tie, dusting off his glasses. "Cedric?" Melissa asked.

"Hi, Melissa." His voice had became deeper in the year she had last seen him. The two had maintained contact for a few months before Cedric decided to leave his unhappy past, to start a new job with his late father's company. Sneer industries had flourished in the short time since Cyril's death; the young man had now setup a successful television network. At first, Melissa was surprised Cedric didn't have a chauffeur stop by to pick her up. "How are you?"

Melissa smiled at hearing the tone in his voice. It brought back a fond memory of the coke-bottled hooligan and his antics with Bert. "I'm good, Cedric! Let met help you." Melissa leaned down, and took a small bag from beside the young man. "Come in." She said.

The door closed, and Melissa tasted the heavy cologne Cedric poured over himself. Almost overpowering. "I've got something for Bert." Cedric's way with words was like his way with business; bunt, and to the point.

"Oh..." Melissa started. "I saw him today."

Cedric rubbed his glasses, and gazed out the window. "How is he holding up?" Silence danced through the tree house, waiting for either to break the fragile fabric of memory.

"He's not doing well...' Melissa said. Cedric sat down on Melissa's couch. "No, not well at all, I'm afraid." She continued to stand, pacing around the living room.

"I... I think he'll like it." Cedric reached into the bag, and produced a small photo album. He handed it to Melissa, and the fabric enveloped her again. Gone were the horrid images of the raccoon's battered face. The vile sounds and smells of that asylum dissapeared. Now, jovial times and laughs filled her thoughts. The two holding fishing poles, the two climbing a tree, the two building a model plane. These are the memories she wanted to cherish.

"This is great, Cedric, but..." Melissa trailed off. "They don't allow personal affects in the a-" She stopped, and looked away. "The hospital..."

Cedric lowered his head. "That's too bad..." His tone was on a level with her own. She knew the pain his words caused. Misery was a terrible monster.

Misery... Melissa reached over and took Cedric's hand. He seemed surprised by this, and he tried to speak. "Are you alright, Melissa?"

Melissa felt a chill, like wind hitting her in the face at midnight. That question, that simple question, seemed to bring back so many memories in her. "Bert told me something today..." She said. "Did you boys ever visit Fox Pond?" His silent assent came, as she felt a subconscious jerking of his hand away from her. She let go.

"What's wrong, Cedric? Did something happen at Fox Pond?" She sat down next to him, on the couch.

"Yes Bert and I were going camping." Melissa smiled, as she remembered a picture on the wall. Bert and Cedric smiling for the camera. It was right next to the picture of her and Ralph. "We decided to stay at a campsite near Fox Pond. We didn't think much of it, but then we heard a loud crash. A plane flew by, but very close the ground. We thought it would turn around, or circle, but it didn't. It crashed " Cedric looked outside.

"In Fox Pond?" Melissa asked.

The aardvark nodded slowly, and sipped his tea. "Yes. It would probably be a half hour before an ambulance arrived, so Bert and I decided to get a closer look." He said.

"...What did you find?"

"Three men. One in the cockpit, and the others behind him."

Melissa's hand came to her mouth. "Were they dead?" She asked.

The aardvark shook his head. "No, and that's the strange thing. They landed in the lake. There was a bridge across the lake, that they tried to hold onto. The plane started to sink, and the passengers were trying to get out. Two of them stood on the bridge, grabbing onto a third one."

"Were they alright?" Melissa asked.

"The third guy didn't look in good shape either. All three looked like they were drunk."

"Did you say something to them?"

"No. Before we got to the bridge, the third guy jumped back into the plane... The other two jumped back in and dragged the third onto land. He had a box with him." Cedric turned away.

"...What about the plane?" Melissa asked.

"The plane sank, and we were about to get on the bridge, when the third guy pulled out a pistol. He tried firing it, but it was too wet. The other two wrestled it away from him."

"About what?"

"I couldn't get everything, but I heard him saying something about 'hiding'. They started to dig a pit and bury something before they left. Then, they ran off."

"What did you and Bert do then?"

"After they left, Bert and I tried to dive to the plane."

"Did you find anything inside? Like who the plane belonged to?"

Cedric didn't answer. He knew more than he was letting on. "We couldn't get to the plane, but we did dig up that small, shiny box. Bert and I tried to open the lock, and try to find who owned it. However, before we got a chance, someone scared us off."

"Oh my... By what?"

"Someone else on the lake found us. They must have thought that we were the pilots. We had to drop the box and run away."

She had to push on and find out what Cedric knew. The raccoon looked over, to see Cedric staring at her. "Did you get to return?" She asked. Cedric shook his head.

"No, we couldn't. We thought we could make it back to our camping spot and hide, but those people found us again. The next thing we knew, we had our hands up. They surround us. One of them had a gun."

"Couldn't you just tell them you didn't crash the plane?"

"We tried to explain, but they didn't speak English. I tried a bit of French that Sophia taught me, but they didn't understand. It was really scary." Melissa noticed tears forming on Cedric's glasses. "When we started running, my glasses fell. I tried to pick them up, but I cut myself on the shards. Bert grabbed my arm, and we escaped."

Melissa started to remember about that night. The boys did act strange when they came back. Bert told her about Cedric dropping his glasses.

Melissa's heart jumped a beat. The picture from the book. Bert's screaming fit. Now this... Could Ralph be telling her to go to Fox Pond? One image stuck out from the story. Not the passengers who barely survived, or Cedric and Bert who escaped with injuries. The plane, and the box stood out most to her.

Melissa walked over to Cedric. "Cedric..." Melissa said. "I need you to do something for me..." She lowered her head.

Cedric looked up at her, and wiped tears away. He had such a warm smile. "Sure Melissa." He stood up. "You know I'd do anything to help."

Melissa gulped. "I need you to bring me to Fox Pond." She said.

Cedric seemed shocked by this. His expression, first registering confusion, now showed something different. He started to walk towards the door. "No. I can't. It's It's just too painful for me."

"Please Cedric... It's for Ralph." Melissa imagined the words as bubbles, popping as they hit Cedric's ears.

His speech was barely above a whisper. "Ralph?" He said. She knew that he would do almost anything for Bert, and anything for her and Ralph.

She needed his help. Only he could find the plane. "All right " Cedric said. Melissa's heart seemed to melt. His hand started to shake. She embraced him, in a tight hug. She felt him taking off his glasses, and crying on her shoulder. "Thank you Cedric. Thank you." Melissa whispered. Those horrible memories were flooding back to him, devlolving the strong businessman into the scared teenager she had known for years.


End file.
